Rouse Properties Announces New Leases, Changes to NewPark Mall in Newark

By Alex Girda, Associate Editor

A Newmark retail property is set to be repositioned after owner Rouse Properties announces a number of newly-completed leases and changes to one of its assets. The owning entity is set to revive the NewPark Mall in Newark, Calif. by unveiling a number of new tenants and features into one of the focal points of the area in terms of entertainment, shopping and dining.

NewPark Mall is a 1.1 million square-foot property that currently holds around 150 retailers such as Macy’s, Coach, The Body Shop, Forever 21, Disney Store and Victoria’s Secret. However, Rouse Properties recently completed new leases for around 140,000 square feet of space from both dining and entertainment sectors. The standout new addition to the tenant roster will be a new 12-screen AMC Theatres location that will include not only the AMC Prime auditoriums but an IMAX screen as well. The theater will occupy 55,000 square feet of space, and will offer patrons stadium seating with power recliners and will serve a host of food and drink choices.

The new promenade will also include new names such as Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill and John’s Incredible Pizza. The three new fixtures on the NewPark Mall tenant roster will be accessible through both interior and separate outdoor entrances. The new entrances are part of the improvements brought by the owner to this section of the mall. These, along with new signage and tenants’ trade dress, are set to enhance visibility of the property from the nearby I-880 freeway.

Also part of the redevelopment process at the mall is the new Restaurant Pavilion, an initiative that’s set to reconfigure the southern end of the property with a glass-enclosed exterior facing restaurant spaces. Included in this phase of refurbishment is the expansion of the main entrance and gathering area, as well as the introduction of a brand new glass entrance, meant to provide site lines to the entertainment venues located on the opposite end of the mall.

The owner’s initiative to reposition the property and enhance the entertainment and dining components has the full backing of local authorities, with Newark Mayor, Alan Nagy, expressing support in regards to the redevelopment project. Nagy noted the local government’s excitement to “create a thriving retail center that will yield great benefits for the City of Newark and better serve the shopping, dining and entertainment needs of the local community.”